Otomi language

This article is about the living language. For the extinct language of Jalisco, see Otomi language (Jalisco).
Otomi
RegionMexico: México (state), Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Tlaxcala, Michoacán
EthnicityOtomi
Native speakers
300,000 (2020 census)[1]
Official status
Official language in
In Mexico through the General Law of Linguistic Rights of Indigenous Peoples (in Spanish).
Regulated byInstituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-2oto
ISO 639-3Variously:
ote – Mezquital Otomi
otl – Tilapa Otomi
otm – Highland Otomi
otn – Tenango Otomi
otq – Querétaro Otomi
ots – Estado de México Otomi
ott – Temoaya Otomi
otx – Texcatepec Otomi
otz – Ixtenco Otomi
Glottologotom1300  Otomi
sout3168  Southwestern Otomi
Otomi-speaking areas in Mexico
The Otomi languages within Oto-Manguean, number 3 (bright blue), north
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.
Lower Northwestern Otomí, Northwestern Otomí and Sierra Otomí are classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Central Otomí and Mezquital Otomí are classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Ixtenco Otomí, Ocoyoacac Otomí, Tilapa Otomí and Western Otomí are classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Otomi (/ˌoʊtəˈmiː/ OH-tə-MEE; Spanish: Otomí [otoˈmi]) is an Oto-Pamean language spoken by approximately 240,000 indigenous Otomi people in the central altiplano region of Mexico.[2] Otomi consists of several closely related languages, many of which are not mutually intelligible. The word Hñähñu [hɲɑ̃hɲṹ] has been proposed as an endonym, but since it represents the usage of a single dialect, it has not gained wide currency. Linguists have classified the modern dialects into three dialect areas: the Northwestern dialects are spoken in Querétaro, Hidalgo and Guanajuato; the Southwestern dialects are spoken in the State of Mexico; and the Eastern dialects are spoken in the highlands of Veracruz, Puebla, and eastern Hidalgo and villages in Tlaxcala and Mexico states.

Like all other Oto-Manguean languages, Otomi is a tonal language, and most varieties distinguish three tones. Nouns are marked only for possessor; the plural number is marked with a definite article and a verbal suffix, and some dialects keep dual number marking. There is no case marking. Verb morphology is either fusional or agglutinating depending on the analysis.[cn 1] In verb inflection, infixation, consonant mutation, and apocope are prominent processes. The number of irregular verbs is large. A class of morphemes cross-references the grammatical subject in a sentence. These morphemes can be analysed as either proclitics or prefixes and mark tense, aspect and mood. Verbs are inflected for either direct object or dative object (but not for both simultaneously) by suffixes. Grammar also distinguishes between inclusive 'we' and exclusive 'we'.

After the Spanish conquest, Otomi became a written language when friars taught the Otomi to write the language using the Latin script; colonial period's written language is often called Classical Otomi. Several codices and grammars were composed in Classical Otomi. A negative stereotype of the Otomi promoted by the Nahuas and perpetuated by the Spanish resulted in a loss of status for the Otomi, who began to abandon their language in favor of Spanish. The attitude of the larger world toward the Otomi language started to change in 2003 when Otomi was granted recognition as a national language under Mexican law together with 61 other indigenous languages.

  1. ^ Lenguas indígenas y hablantes de 3 años y más, 2020 INEGI. Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020.
  2. ^ INEGI (2009:69)


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